I'm still trying to catch up on projects with missed deadlines (hence the light blogging).
Here's a question, though: why does the knowledge that others are still later with their work than I am make me so deliriously happy? I'm not happy because they're behind, exactly, but I feel absurdly relieved if, after receiving something or hearing from an editor, I'm reassured that I'm not the only one who is late.
Is this schadenfreude? Is is the Daffy Duck philosophy of life, which states that "It is not only necessary that I succeed, but that you fail"?
I don't think it's either one, exactly. I'm not happy at others' misfortunes and don't want them to fail, but I am happy to learn that others are in the same boat. Is this "misery loves company" instead? Is there a name for it? Academic commiseration?
2 comments:
Maybe just knowing that, even if you're objectively behind, at least you're subjectively right on target?
That's it!
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